Spring-motor.



C. S. LANGTON.

7 SPRING MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1910.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wi ma/o COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. C.

C. S. LAN-GTON.

SPRING MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2a, 1910.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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3513 my W COLUMBIA PLANOORAPEZ CO.,WASHINOTON, 0, c.

CHARLES S. LANGTON, OF OLNEY, ILLINOIS.

SPRING-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28 1911.

Application filed August 26, 1910. Serial No. 579,014.

To all whom it 'l/iay concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. LANGTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Olney, in the county of Richland and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Motors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to motors and more particularly to spring motors.v

The object of the invention is the provision in a motor of thischaracter of means for automatically returning the springs fromcollapsed position to active position.

-A further object of the invention is the provision-of means utilized inconnection with the springs of a plurality of internal combustion motorswhich automatically force the springs to active position and theprovision of means whereby the active stroke of the internal combustionmotor performs no function in driving the driven shaft and whereby thesprings are caused to drive the shaft in their active movement.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specificdescription is read in connection with the accompanying drawing whichforms a part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken throughthe device. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a detail elevation with parts broken away.

Referring more particularly tothe drawing 1 represents the base or othersuitable support which has extending from its opposite ends thesupporting uprights 2 upon which is mounted the cylinder supportingplate 3. This plate is apertured throughout its length so as to receivea plurality of internal combustion cylinders 4 which are supplied with agaseous inflammable fuel in any suitable manner, not shown. It will beunderstood that the cylinder mounting arrangement may be varied in manyrespects, a simple arrangement being shown herein for the purpose ofillustration. The cylinders 4: depend slightly from the plate 3 and havemounted therein suitable piston rods, each provided with an extension 6upon which a rack bar 7 is formed. These rack bars are adapted to meshwith suitable pinions 8 loosely mounted upon the driving shaft 9 betweena collar 10 keyed to the shaft on one side and a ratchet wheel 11 keyedto the shaft upon the opposite side. Each gear wheel 8 has mountedthereon a springpressed pawl 12 which engages the ratchet wheel in sucha manner that the outstroke of the piston rod acts to idly rotate thegear wheel 8 upon the shaft 9, but upon its instroke causes the ratchetwheel and the shaft to rotate with the gear 8 as will here in'after bedescribed. Suitable guides 13 extend up from the base 1 and engage the Iouter ends of the rack bars 7 so as to prevent any lateral movementthereof and the con sequent disengagement of said rack bars with thegears 8.

Surrounding the cylinders and connected at one end to the cylindermounting plate 3 are spiral springs 14 which are connected at theiropposite ends to cross heads 15 adjustably mounted upon the extensions 6by means of the set screws 16.

Hinged to one end of the cross heads 15 and passing up through the coilsof the spring which surrounds each cylinder are tripping rods 17 whichare provided adjacent their upper ends with laterally extending teeth 18adapted to trip the spark lever 19 and operate a sparker rod 20. Thesetrip rods are normally held in the path of the spark levers 19 by meansof bell crank levers 21 which are pivoted upon brackets carried by themounting plate 3 and are simultaneously controlled by means of aconnecting rod 22 which is pivoted to all of the levers. When this rodis operated, the tail end of the bell crank levers is raised out ofengagement with the trip rods and the latter are thrown out of the pathof the spark levers by means of springs 23 which are mounted upon thecross heads 15 and act to normally throw the trip rods away from thecylinders.

It will be clearly understood that the springs 14 may be connected tothe pistons in any suitable manner other than surrounding the cylindersin the manner shown, the particular position illustrated being merelyillustrative of a simple and convenientmanner of mounting the same.

In the operation of the device it will be assumed that all of the pistonrods have been depressed to their full extent of movement and that thesprings 14 are acting to force the piston rods into cylinders. At apredetermined point in the rise of the pistons rods or the collapse ofthe steam a tooth 18 engages the tripping lever 19 and the sparking rod20 is operated to produce V shaft 9. Upon the inward movement of thepiston rods the rack bars operate the gears in the reverse direction andthe pawls 12 positively engage the ratchet wheels and rotate the shaftwith the gears. When it is desired to interrupt the action of themachine the rod 22 is pulled to the left and the bell crank levers 21released from the tripping rods 17, which are then thrown to a positionby the springs 23 whereby the teeth 18 on said rods will be out of thepath of the sparking levers 19.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A device ofthe class described comprising a support, a shaft journaled therein, aplurality of ratchet members upon the shaft, a plurality of springscarried by the support, a plurality of internal combustion enginescarried by the support and having pistons engaging and adapted to idlyoperate said ratchet members, means connecting the springs to the pistonrods whereby the springs will actively operate the shaft upon the returnmovement of the piston rods, and means for automatically operating thecombustion engines upon collapse of the springs.

2. A device of the class described comprising a support, a shaftjournaled therein,

a plurality of ratchet members upon the shaft, ,a plurality of internalcombustion engines carried by the support and having pistons engagingand adapted to idly operate said ratchet members, a plurality of springsconnected to the support, and to the piston rods, and adapted topositively return the piston rods and to actively operate the shaft,devices carried by each piston rod for automatically operating thecombustion engines upon collapse of the springs, and means tosimultaneously render inoperative all of said last named devices.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. LANGTON. Vitnesses:

E. EDMONSTON, Jr., K. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. C.

